Try skip raiding, there used to be a HD refurb co near where I live that
dumped sheets of cardboard backed anti-static foam by the skip load. If you
find a suitable factory the skip should contain plentiful anti-static bags
and usually some foam as well.

What actually damages the chips is the current spike as the electrostatic
charge is suddenly discharged - which is what happens if they are put into
contact with aluminium foil without any other precautions!

Foil protection is fine if the ESC is discharged before wrapping the pins, a
handy trick is to breathe on the chip just as you would breathe on a pair of
spectacles before polishing the lenses with a handkerchief - the moisture in
the breath dissipates the charge safely.

here where it's often much lower humidity I was able to
get a static discharge by handling a certain smartcard...
(skin to plastic friction), the card in question was
already dead, and now I think I know how!

In case you still need the "foam" to hold your IC's, try Jaycar Electronics.
Dick Smith might sell the stuff and also Altronics or one of it's
re-sellers.
Dick Smith Electronics also sell anti-static bags.
I always keep the anti-static bags when I buy add-on cards, RAM etc for
my PC. The bags are usually marked as such.

you could try:
<http://www.clctech.com.au/fsk%20&%20foam.htm
but I have never priced it there.

or in the US:
<http://www.all-spec.com/1/category/Miscellaneous%7CFoam%2Band%2BBubble%2BWrap/ALLSPEC/?OVRAW=Anti-Static%20Foam&OVKEY=anti%20static%20foam&OVMTC=standard
at what appears to be good prices.

If you follow through, please let me know how you get on, as I may need
some in future.
Don...